EF24 Charity: The Lemurs of Madagascar

The island of Madagascar is home to an amazingly unique ecosystem, with animals found nowhere else on the planet, like lemurs and the beautiful fossa. However, most people have no idea how bad the situation for wildlife in Madagascar is. Over the past decades an estimated 90% of Madagascar's forests have disappeared and almost all of the 100+ lemur species are in danger of extinction. Every year still, huge parts of the forests are burned down, and many lemurs fall victim to hunting as well. Of many species, fewer animals are left than there are people attending Eurofurence. Even the numbers of the well known ring-tailed lemur are dropping alarmingly fast.

This is where we come in! Every year, through your generous donations, we can make a huge difference for the lives of many animals. This year, we're helping out the lemurs by raising money through lots of fun activities, and by teaching people about Madagascar's beautiful nature and wildlife.

Madagascar is a country that receives little attention internationally in terms of animal conservation, which means the money we collect will have a big impact.

A female blue-eyed lemur

A red ruffed lemur

A Fossa

Although the problems on Madagascar can feel overwhelming, the Eurofurence charity team has been working together with lemur conservation experts to find ways where our help can make a real difference!

Rebuilding camps for the silky sifaka

The silky sifaka is one of the most striking lemurs, being all white. It’s also one of the most endangered animals in the world, with an estimated 300 animals remaining. They only live in a small forested area in the northeast of Madagascar, along with animals like the black indri and the fossa. One of the most effective ways to protect wildlife in this area is through ecotourism. Camps for tourists and researchers provide an incentive for local people to protect nature by giving them a source of income. If we raise enough money we can rebuild two of these camps, which were destroyed last year by cyclone Enawo.

A brand new camp for the blue-eyed lemur

Another one of the most threatened lemurs is the blue-eyed lemur. Just like the silky sifaka, their problem is that the few animals that are left live in small patches of forest. Last summer, lemur researcher Iris de Winter has discovered an unkown group of blue-eyed lemurs living in a currently unprotected area. If we manage to raise 10.000 euro, a new camp, fully funded by Eurofurence, can be built! Iris will be present at the con and can tell you all about this area.

Rocket Stove program

One of the reasons the forests the lemurs live in are shrinking is because trees get cut down for firewood. The rocket stove program teaches people a method of building stoves that more than halves the amount of wood used to cook.

…and more!

Depending on how much we'll raise, there are several other things we'll do to help. A small amount of money can already make a large impact in a country like Madagascar. Many of the guides and rangers that work in national parks barely own any books. We can donate books so they can educate themselves and teach others about the wildlife. We can also create educational comics for kids so they can learn about the animals of their country. Many people in Madagascar have never been seen any of their native wildlife, including lemurs! If we raise enough, we can fund excursions for the kids to go to parks and see their amazing local wildlife with their own eyes.

How you can help

Spread the word about Madagascar! A big reason why lemur conservation is severely underfunded is that many people do not know about it. We will offer information at our panels, and lemur researchers will be happy to answer your questions at the charity table.
If you would like to donate items for the art show or the charity lottery, you can find a submission form here: http://charity.eurofurence.org/.

Charity Events

As always, there will be lots of activities where you can support the charity, such as:

The charity lottery booth
The charity concert
The charity videogame tournament
The charity art auction
A charity calendar
The sunday open table

If you would like to help the charity team, or if you have any ideas or remarks, then feel free to contact us.
Follow us on twitter for the latest updates and information! @EF_CharityTeam